Two-time world cup-winning scrumhalf Faf de Klerk will join the Springboks in New Zealand ahead of their two Rugby Championship matches against the All Blacks.

The Boks and All Blacks meet in Auckland next Saturday and the following week in Wellington, with both matches kicking off at 09:05 (SA time).

SA Rugby said in a statement today that De Klerk, who featured briefly during the June test window against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia but was not included in the original tour group to New Zealand, would join the Boks ‘as additional cover in the key position’.

The Boks though, did not reveal why specifically the 33-year-old, 59-times capped Bok No 9 was joining the tour group after not featuring at all during the tests against Australia earlier in the competition.

The other scrumhalves in the current group are Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach and Morne van den Berg.

Mystery around Mbonambi

SA Rugby also revealed today that experienced hooker Bongi Mbonambi had not left South Africa with the rest of his team last Tuesday when the Boks boarded the plane to New Zealand.

The rugby body said the world cup-winning hooker had ‘remained behind to attend to family matters’.

It is not known if Mbonambi will join the Boks in Auckland this week ahead of the first test of the tour at Eden Park this coming Saturday.

The only other hookers in the group are Malcolm Marx and Marnus van der Merwe. Utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels can play hooker, while flanker Marco van Staden has been a standby hooker in the past.

The Springboks and New Zealand have both won one match and lost one match so far in the Rugby Championship.

Revised Springbok squad

Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (capt), Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese

Backs: Damian de Allende, Faf de Klerk, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse

This article first appeared in The Citizen.

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